Author: Danica Janković  This paper will analyse the religious teaching in Serbian high schools as a case study through which broader problems of contemporary teaching are identified such as the weak interactivity and low motivation (Institute for Educational Research 2023). These issues reflect a wider pattern in modern education where teaching often remains teacher-centered and students are passive participants in their own learning  process.The purpose is to show the role of the teacher as a guide who leads students to independent thought through questioning and coming to their own conclusions which would be connected to the class and the material they were supposed to cover. Photo: Unsplash/Vidar Nordli-Mathisen Through literature analysis, comparison, and a case study of selected religious education lessons in a Serbian high school, the paper demonstrates how a teacher can recreate lessons not by providing direct answers, but by guiding students to discover concepts themselves. This approach aligns with broader educational goals such as autonomy, critical thinking, and value-based learning, making it applicable beyond religious education and relevant across various subjects. During the period between 2021-2022 the online classes were carried out in two different high schools in Niš, Serbia, by the professor Ivica Živković during the years 2021-2022 which he conducted using the Socratic Majeutic method. This is the case study this paper will be focusing on.  This paper argues that the Socratic (maieutic) method -teaching through guided  questioning- offers one of the most effective pedagogical approaches for engaging students in reflective, meaningful learning. For example, during the period between 2021-2022 the Religious education classes were carried out online in two different high schools in Niš, Serbia, by the professor Ivica Živković which he conducted using the Socratic Majeutic method. Student Milica Marković responded to the professor in the google classroom, and at the end of the school year, a book was published in the form of dialogue between them that was created during their classes. Using this example I demonstrate how this method addresses key problems in contemporary teaching: lack of student engagement, insufficient critical thinking, and limited relevance of content.  In many educational systems, including the Serbian one, teaching remains largely teacher-centered, emphasizing memorization and passive reception of knowledge. This creates an unconscious barrier between teachers and students, further discouraging active participation and curiosity. Religious education, as a relatively new yet controversial subject, reflects these broader pedagogical issues such as lessons often relying on narration rather than exploration.  Within this context, reintroducing the Socratic approach represents an opportunity to reimagine the teacher’s role as a facilitator of thought. Improving the quality of religious education is not only pedagogically important but also socially significant. When students are taught to reflect and understand religion critically, they are less likely to adopt simplified or politicized interpretations of faith. Strengthening teaching methods in this subject contributes to fostering tolerance, empathy, and intercultural understanding.  Main arguments:  Religious education should be conducted using the Socratic method and similar interactive approaches applied by Professor Živković.  ● This approach replaces passive memorization with dialogue and guided questioning, allowing students to actively construct their understanding instead of only repeating given information.  ● Such teaching practices positively influence students by increasing their engagement, motivation, and participation.  ● When lessons are structured around questions rather than lectures, students become co-creators of knowledge, which strengthens their critical thinking and sense of autonomy in learning.  ● This pedagogical model also benefits the broader community by promoting a more informed and reflective understanding of religion.  By fostering dialogue and empathy, it helps prevent the political misuse of religious ideas for spreading intolerance or hatred, encouraging instead the authentic ethical and humanistic values of faith.  The teacher as a questioner – recreating knowledge rather than transmitting it Exploration of how questions can replace explanations, encouraging students to reconstruct meaning through guided inquiry (examples of how this could work within religious topics).  How questioning leads to reflection and critical engagement – Analysis of the shift from rote learning to reflective thinking; examples of how guided dialogue fosters personal connection and moral reasoning. Model proposal: Applying the Socratic method across subjects – Practical implications: how a questioning-based approach could improve not only religious education but teaching practices in general; steps for implementation and teacher training.  By examining religious education through the lens of the Socratic method, this paper shows that meaningful teaching depends not on the amount of information transmitted, but on the teacher’s ability to guide students toward independent thought. When applied to religious education, this approach transforms the classroom into a space of dialogue and critical reflection, helping students actively engage with ideas rather than passively accept them. Such methods not only improve student motivation and understanding but also strengthen the broader social role of education—encouraging tolerance, empathy, and resistance to the political misuse of religion. The teacher who questions rather than instructs does not merely convey knowledge, but cultivates reflective individuals capable of forming their own moral and intellectual judgments, which makes this model valuable far beyond the subject of religious education itself.  Students just repeat the information Contemporary education across many countries faces problems that significantly complicate the learning process. Those problems are often not taken into account as they are highly normalised in today's teaching practices. Amongst the most common problems that appear in the classroom are the low motivation of the students, limited interactivity and a highly teacher-centered environment where the students are passive participants. These patterns are documented in recent pedagogical research, including work conducted in Serbia, where the Institute for Educational Research (2023) describes that students frequently experience lessons as passive and disconnected from their own reasoning processes. Instead of being encouraged to think, question, and explore ideas, students often remain silent observers while teachers hand over pre packaged information. Paulo Freire (1970) describes this approach as a “banking model” of education in which knowledge is treated as a deposit made by the teacher and given to the students, rather than as something that is co-constructed through dialogue and critical inquiry.  Against this backdrop, this paper explores the potential of the Socratic maieutic method as an alternative pedagogical model for education. Rather than relying on repetition and the transmission of pre defined information, the Socratic method gives an emphasis to questioning, dialogue, and the guided development of ideas, encouraging students to make their own understanding through critical inquiry. This approach positions the teacher as a facilitator of learning, rather than a transmitter of knowledge (Plato, trans. 1997; Vlastos, 1991).  The paper investigates this method through a case study of religious education classes conducted online by Professor Ivica Živković in two high schools in Niš, Serbia, during the 2021–2022 school year. These classes conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulted in a year-long written dialogue between the teacher  and student Milica Marković, later published as the book A to samo Bog zna (2022). This case presents an important example of a student-driven learning in a Serbian high school.  New (old) practices in education In recent years, educational systems in many countries, especially in the European Union and the United States have been going through notable reforms and transformations as a reaction to technological, social, and economic pressures and changes. For example, the OECD’s Trends Shaping Education 2025 report brings out how global forces such as digitalisation, societal change and the COVID-19 pandemic are reshaping policies and practices in education across OECD member countries, driving changes in how learning, teaching, and assessment are conceived and delivered (OECD, 2025).  At the same time, a great deal of national reforms in the U.S. have focused on expanded learning time, curriculum redesign and adaptation to emerging technologies as part of broader efforts to improve educational outcomes and equity (e.g., expanded learning initiatives in the U.S.). Yet still so many classrooms carry on in keeping traditional models of teaching and learning. Teacher centred pedagogy traditionally prioritises the transmission of knowledge over the development of skills, values, and independent reasoning. John Dewey’s theory of education critiques such approaches, arguing that learning turns out most effectively through active participation, experience, and reflective thinking, instead of passive reception of information (Dewey, 1938). Similarly, critical pedagogy emphasises that education should foster learners’ capacity for critical reasoning and meaningful engagement with knowledge, rather than positioning students as passive recipients (Freire, 1970). From this theoretical perspective, teacher centred instruction is not adequate for contemporary students who require active engagement in order to understand complex concepts and apply knowledge to real life contexts  A 2023 study by the Institute for Educational Research highlights that Serbian high school students often describe classes as monotonous and lacking meaningful interaction. When lessons rely heavily on memorization, students struggle to understand the material and its significance. As a consequence students during the classes exhibit low motivation, limited curiosity, and minimal participation.  Majeutics Socratic method emphasizes a shift from the teacher as a transmitter of knowledge to the teacher as a facilitator.The facilitators role is to guide students to analyse,  reconstruct knowledge and come to the answers on their own rather than providing them. This encourages learners to form arguments, draw conclusions and actually connect to the material.(Plato, trans. 1997; Vlastos, 1991).  In the context of religious education, facilitation is especially crucial, as teaching about religion requires sensitivity to students' diverse beliefs and experiences and emphasises dialogue, interpretation, and reflective understanding, rather than the transmission of fixed doctrinal knowledge (Jackson, 2004). A facilitator-oriented approach can help learners explore questions of meaning, morality, and identity.  The Socratic maieutic method emphasizes drawing out knowledge through questions. As Wilberding (2019) explains, the method involves strategic questioning that leads students to uncover ideas themselves rather than passively receiving them. Maieutics (from the Greek word for “midwifery”) suggests that the teacher assists students in “giving birth” to their own understanding.  Key characteristics of the Socratic method include:  ● open-ended questions, ● dialogical interaction,  ● reflection with self-correction,  ● the development of personal meaning.  Religious education, when taught through memorization risks reducing theological and ethical concepts to surface-level information. The Socratic method offers an alternative by encouraging students to question, interpret, and reflect, it supports:  ●independent moral reasoning,  ● empathy and tolerance,  ● deeper understanding of religious texts,  ● critical examination of personal and societal beliefs.  Critical thinking Given the growing concerns regarding the politicisation of religion in contemporary societies, facilitative and dialogical pedagogical models are not only academically beneficial but also socially significant. Scholars argue that when religious education is reduced to the transmission of fixed or ideologically framed interpretations, it can reinforce polarisation and limit students’ capacity for critical reflection (Casanova, 2011). In contrast, dialogical approaches to religious education such as facilitation established on questioning and interpretation, promote critical engagement, tolerance, and the ability to tell apart personal belief from political manipulation of religion (Jackson, 2004; UNESCO, 2019). From this perspective, such pedagogical models contribute to the development of reflective and socially responsible citizens capable of engaging with religious diversity in pluralistic societies.  The findings are compared to typical teacher-centered practices in Serbian religious education to highlight key differences and pedagogical implications. Empirical research on attitudes toward religious instruction in Serbia indicates that the existing confessional model, which tends to prioritise content transmission, has limitations in addressing religious diversity and meaningful engagement with material, pointing to pedagogical gaps in current practice (Šuvaković et al., 2023).  Furthermore, comparative research in religious education literature identifies a clear distinction between traditional teacher-centred/content-centred approaches and more constructivist, student-centred models that actively involve learners in meaning-making processes (Religious Education in Transition, 2024). These differences underscore how teacher-centred practices may limit opportunities for critical thinking and deeper understanding, in contrast to approaches that emphasise learner engagement and dialogue  The online lessons were fundamentally dialogical. Professor Živković rarely provided direct explanations; instead, he formed and asked a series of interconnected questions designed to guide the student toward discovering the underlying concepts. Responses were written, allowing time for reflection. Each question built upon the previous one, creating a developmental sequence that led the student toward deeper understanding.  The Socratic method in these lessons relied on several types of questions: ● Descriptive questions (“What do you think this parable suggests?”) ● Analytical questions (“Why do you believe this interpretation makes sense?”)  ● Reflective questions (“How does this relate to your own experience or values?”)  Rather than correcting the student the teacher asked further questions that guided her toward answers. Even when her thoughts on the subject didn't quite meet his beliefs he didn't imply she was wrong but rather accepted her understanding and offered his own, making a safe environment for the student to come to the conclusion on her own. The dialogue demonstrates a high level of engagement. The student’s responses grew more complex over time, also increased her motivation and comfort with reflective reasoning. The written format also encouraged clarity, structure, and introspection and gave her the time to think through her answer, highlighting how questioning can stimulate deep learning even in an online environment.  The case study directly addresses the problems outlined in the introduction. Unlike traditional classes where students are passive recipients of transmitted knowledge, critical and progressive educational theories argue that such passivity limits meaningful learning and critical engagement (Freire, 1970; Dewey, 1938). The Socratic method transforms them into active participants. The method appeals to curiosity rather than external pressure and so the engagement increases. The student is not merely listening but thinking, constructing, articulating, and defending ideas. A questioning-centered approach benefits subjects such as philosophy, sociology, literature, history, and even science. Any discipline that requires reasoning can be enriched by dialogical and reflective learning, which encourages learners to engage actively with ideas rather than receive them passively. Educational theorists argue that dialogic teaching promotes deep understanding, critical thinking, and the ability to articulate and justify one’s own views (Alexander, 2008; Mercer, 2000).  One of the most significant social implications of this method is its contribution to social cohesion and democratic citizenship. Research suggests that when students are taught to think critically about religion and other contested topics, they are less likely to accept oversimplified or politicised narratives and more likely to develop nuanced, empathetic, and informed perspectives (UNESCO, 2015; Osler & Starkey, 2005). In multicultural societies, dialogical learning has been linked to the strengthening of democratic values, reduction of prejudice, and increased intercultural understanding, as students learn to respect difference, engage in reasoned dialogue, and consider diverse viewpoints (Banks, 2008; UNESCO, 2015).  Implementation To implement a dialogical and facilitative pedagogical model there are some conditions that must be met, as suggested by educational theory and research.  Teachers' classes that are focused on questioning and dialogical techniques are essential, since the efficiency of the Socratic and dialogical approach depends mostly on teachers’ ability to guide discussion rather than transmit information. Studies on dialogic teaching emphasise that teachers must be explicitly trained to use questioning strategies that promote reasoning and reflection (Alexander, 2008; Mercer, 2000).  Curriculum adjustment is necessary in order to create space for dialogue and inquiry instead of pure memorisation. Dewey (1938) argues that meaningful learning requires time for reflection and interaction with ideas, which cannot occur in inflexible, content-heavy curricula focused solely on fact based reproduction.  Assessment practices must be reformed to value reflection and critical thinking rather than simple reproduction of information. Research in classroom assessment demonstrates that learning is enhanced when evaluation focuses on students’ reasoning processes, self-reflection, and understanding rather than on memorisation alone (Black & Wiliam, 1998).  This paper has demonstrated that the Socratic maieutic method offers a powerful and necessary response to the pedagogical challenges currently present in Serbian high schools. Through a detailed analysis of a real classroom example it demonstrates that questioning centered teaching crucially improves student engagement, enhances critical thinking, and deepens the internalization of religious and ethical concepts.  In conclusion, the findings of this paper indicate that religious education due to its ethical and existential nature, is better understood if it uses dialogical and facilitative pedagogical approaches. The analysis demonstrates that when students are encouraged to think critically rather than memorise content, they are more likely to develop mature perspectives on religion. These findings suggest that such educational practices extend beyond academic outcomes and provide to broader societal goals such as the development of a more reflective and cohesive community.  Furthermore, this study concludes that the teacher who guides inquiry rather than deliver pre determined answers strengthens both the deeper academic understanding but also the development of independent and critically minded students. From this perspective, pedagogical transformation emerges as essential for education systems devoted to preparing students for complex moral decision making, democratic participation, and responsible engagement in pluralistic societies. Bibliography  Wilberding, Erick. Socratic Methods in the Classroom: Encouraging Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Through Dialogue. 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